City Council pushes for half-price MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers

The New York City Council continues its push for reduced-fare MetroCards that would benefit low-income New Yorkers. After Mayor Bill de Blasio snubbed the proposed Fair Fares program in the city’s FY2019 budget for the second year in the row, the Council has struck back with a proposal to fund the program in its budget response, reports the New York Daily News.

Last month, more than half of the City Council signed a letter to Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, affirming their support for the discount fare program. During an appearance on the Brian Lehrer show, Johnson stated that funding Fair Fares is one of the city’s “major priorities” and under the Council’s proposal, the city would use $212 million annually to pay for Fair Fares.

If realized, Fair Fares would make working-age New York residents living at or below the poverty line of $24,339 for a family of four eligible to receive MetroCards at half-price.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has stated that while he supports the program, the state should shell out funding for all things MTA. (Though he did agree to allocate $418 million from the FY2019 budget to the MTA’s subway action plan.)

• Poorer New Yorkers would get half-price MetroCards under City Council’s budget plan [NY Daily News]
• Mayor de Blasio denies reduced cost MetroCard funding for low-income New Yorkers [Curbed]
• City Council demands discounted MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers [Curbed]